Conventional brassieres comprise generally a pair of support cups attached frontally to a band that encircles the chest. A pair of shoulder straps are attached to the top of the support cups and along the band located on the wearer's back. The shoulder straps on most brassieres do not cross each other at the wearer's back. Also, the shoulder straps, in order to comfortably fit the wearer, can be made to be adjustable, elastic, or both.
A problem with the conventional brassiere is that there is a tendency for the shoulder straps to slip off the wearer's shoulder. As the shoulder straps are tightened to attempt to solve this problem, there is a tendency for the straps, which are generally narrow, to dig into the wearer's shoulder causing significant discomfort and pain. The straps have been made wider and sometimes padded to allow the straps to fit tightly without digging into the shoulders, but these straps tend to show through the outer garment of the wearer and are avoided by many stylish wearers.
Various patents have been written disclosing inventions providing means to maintain the shoulder straps on the wearer's shoulders. U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,293 issued to Gable discloses an accessory comprising two elongated bands that can be fastened together at one end below the breasts, cross each other at the back, and slip onto the shoulder straps at the back by a gripping means at the second ends. Although this accessory maintains the shoulder straps on the shoulders, it may be uncomfortable for the wearer in that the portion of the band at the front of the wearer has a tendency to not stay in one place. When the band is tightened to attempt to keep the front section in one place, the band tends to dig into the skin. U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,935 issued to Griefer discloses a band to hold the straps together at the back or front. From the standpoint of utility, this accessory is too difficult for the wearer to attach alone.
There are other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,043 issued to Pflum and U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,343 issued to Ichelson which are directed at new types of brassieres. Both improve the comfort of the bra, however, neither addresses the problem of keeping the shoulder straps comfortably on the shoulders.
Accordingly, it is the general objective of the instant invention to provide a new type of brassiere designed to prevent the shoulder straps from slipping off the wearer's shoulders while minimizing discomforting stress on the shoulders. It is also an objective of the present invention to make the new type of brassiere invisible under the clothing of the wearer. Another objective of the present invention is for the new brassiere to be easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a further objective of the invention to provide an accessory adaptable to many conventional brassieres to prevent the shoulder straps from slipping off the wearer's shoulders while maintaining the comfort and appearance of the original brassiere.